What is it about stress and eating crappy?! Why do they go hand in hand so darn well?

The other week we were going to a party where there would be food, but it was late enough that I needed to eat a snack. So, instead of going for a banana, yogurt or some other healthy choice, I decided to make these delicious goodies. Because sometimes…okay, every time you’re having a bad day, eating some buttery bready creation warm out of the oven always makes it better. ALWAYS.

I own a very nice dslr, but I find that I end up using my iPhone to take 99% of our daily living shots. It’s super convenient because I always have it, but also I am incredibly impressed with the technology behind the iPhone’s camera. It is a very “smart” device and I’ve been really happy with how all of my pictures come out.

Now, I am no expert, but I thought I’d share some tips that I have learned over the years using my iPhone.

#1. Hold your phone as still as possible.

I know this is not always a possibility, especially if you have a child jumping on you, but if you can, keep your hand steady. If you need to, go ahead and prop it on a table or ledge to give you added stability. This will decrease the blurriness that might occur.

#2. Let your phone focus on the subject or touch the screen to where you want it to focus.

Iphones have built-in technology that will auto-focus. If you give it a few seconds, a flashing square will appear where the iPhone thinks it should focus. If you don’t have time for this, go ahead and touch the screen where your desired focus point is. This can also change the amount of light that your phone lets in. Play around with it and you’ll be amazed at how you can learn to “trick” your phone into letting more light “in” or keeping light “out”. This works especially well for sun flares or silhouettes.

#3. Get in as well-lit a space as possible.

I know that there is an ideal amount of light and sometimes you are indoors and there is nothing you can do about it, but if you are able to change locations, go outside or go closer to a window where there is more light and face your subject towards the window. You will have a much clearer picture and cut down on blurriness, especially if your subject is a busy toddler.

#4. Take as many pictures as you can.

I think that my brain is sometimes stuck in the “film era” and forget that I can take as many shots as I want. This guarantees that you’re more likely to get the shot you want. Just don’t forget to go back and delete the ones that were sub-par, especially before you sync your phone to the computer or your husband might get mad. *gulp*

#5. Edit with apps.

Do as much as you can with your shot and then feel free to edit your picture. There are so many great editing apps available, that it’d be a shame not to use them. My favorites are Snapseed, Instagram, Camera + and PicTapGo. These allow you to add light to darker spots, crop and add cool filters.

And don’t forget to share them with the world on Facebook or Instagram.

You can find me on Instagram at @_thegirlwiththesmile

This is not a promotion or a sponsored blog post, I just REALLY love the iPhone and all it’s awesomeness!

I love thrifting. No, more than love…I’m a little obsessed. I could go every day and never get tired of it. I don’t buy something every time I go, but it is über therapeutic to skim over clothes and look at so many different styles/eras of fashion in one place.

The best is when you find something “ugly” and give it new life.

I found this dress that I felt like had good bones, although I think my sister threw up in her mouth when she had to look at it while taking my picture. She really didn’t like it.

I had originally planned on shortening the sleeves and the hem of the skirt and modernizing the look.

Then I woke up and remembered that I have 2% skills in the DIY/sewing category and decided to just turn it into a midi skirt. Fortunately the waist line is elasticized, so all I had to do was cut above it to make a skirt.

It is pretty sheer, so I have to wear it with a slip. The top also has a frayed finish to it, so I can’t tuck in a shirt. I someday hope to nice-ify it, but remember my DIY-lacking skills.

Despite that, I turned this dated, slightly funky dress into a trendy midi-skirt.

So, when you’re thrifting, make sure to #1-call me first so I can join you and #2-don’t quickly pass on something that might be “ugly”.

I am so excited to have the lovely Kate guest posting today. Kate is a fabulous girl that just graduated from FIDM (the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) and has her own awesome blog over at ayellowsparrow.com. Hope you enjoy this rad DIY that she’s put together for you. Have a wonderful Fashion Friday and don’t forget to leave Kate some comment love!

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I have an obsession with two-tone jackets. I love leather sleeves or contrasting colors. The newest trend that I am drawn to is sweater/denim jackets. While in school, we saw this trend circulating around and I love it. But, sometimes its hard for me to let myself buy yet another denim jacket {I think 3 is plenty}. So, I decided to reconstruct some of my clothing items to make my own sweater-denim jacket! The process is relatively simple and I thought it would be a fun thing to share!

Sweater-Denim Jacket Tutorial:

What you need:

1. A sweater you rarely wear but can’t seem to let go of completely.

2. A denim vest {you could also use an old denim jacket…just make sure to cut the sleeves off prior to the project}.

3. Sewing scissors– make sure they are strong enough to cut a clean line through the sweater & denim.

7. Thread clippers {this is not a necessity, but they are a nice tool to have}.

The Process:

1. Cut the sleeves off of the sweater about 1 inch away from the shoulder seam. Note: DO NOT cut off the shoulder seam! You need enough seam allowance to pin and sew.

2. Pin the sweater armhole to the inside of the denim jacket armhole.

3. Sew the sweater to the jacket with 1/4″-1/2″ seam allowance. Note: Stitch the sweater from the INSIDE of the jacket. Always try to keep your sewing line straight-this makes sewing curves much easier.